Country Style Champagne Dinner, Wolgan Valley
Words by Natalie Hayllar. Photography by Felix Forest.
Country Style Magazine and The Champagne Bureau Raise a
Glass to World Champagne Day at Wolgan Valley
In celebration of World Champagne Day on Friday October 23,
it was a honour to collaborate with Country Style and The Champagne Bureau of Australia for the first of two prestigious Champagne dinners at the
luxurious Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley.
“Champagne wines
exhibit a wide variety of aromas and can be easily paired with most foods,
these dinners are a great way for people to experiment with food and Champagne
matching” said Elisabeth Drysdale, Director of The Champagne Bureau of Australia
With the rugged sandstone escarpments of Wolgan Valley
bathed in dusk light, we gathered on the private verandah for Champagne and
canapés before Country Style Editor in Chief Victoria Carey welcomed guests to
the private dining room for an intimate long table dinner. The table was styled
beautifully with Australian natives – Blossoms and Waratah’s – a perfect fit with
the quintessential Australian surrounds. Kangaroos hopped past as the light
dropped behind the escarpment and lights started twinkling in the distance.
Acclaimed guest chef Ross Lusted from Sydney's award winning
‘The Bridge Room’ created an unforgettable four-course menu, individually
matched to a range of Champagne styles. Featuring some of Australia’s best
local produce, the standouts were the incredible ash-grilled duck served with grilled
bread sauce, mulberries, sweet basil and mulberry powder, and dessert of whipped
Valrhona Opalys white chocolate, with nectarines, Earl Grey gel, cocoa crackers
and elderflower.
It seems Australia’s love affair with Champagne continues to
grow, and the Champagne Dinner series provides the perfect opportunity for
diners to learn about one of the world’s most celebrated wines. And what better
place to experience this sensory delight than at Emirates One&Only Wolgan
Valley, nestled between the Wollemi and Gardens of Stone National
Parks in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
From the moment I arrived until we had to say goodbye, there was a magic about this place that is hard to describe. I would like to make a special thanks to
Victoria Carey from Country Style Magazine, and Elisabeth Drysdale from the The
Champagne Bureau of Australia for inviting me to collaborate on this special event, as well as Emirates
One&Only Wolgan Valley, Chef Ross Lusted, Black
Communications for this incredible experience.